Gore Vidal died last night at the age of 86.
His passing ends one of the great careers in public life, as an author, dramatist, essayist, political analyst and cultural figure.
He also was extremely funny, which made him a favorite of Johnny Carson back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. His infamous feud with Norman Mailer was captured on the Dick Cavett Show back in 1971
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2012.